In their words: Seahawks and 49ers prepare for battle

December 5, 2013 11:27 PM

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In their words: Seahawks and 49ers prepare for battle

As the Seahawks and 49ers prepare for their rivalry matchup Sunday at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, members of both teams did their weekly Q&As with the media this week. Here's a collection of what they said, including comments from Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman, and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis and head coach Jim Harbaugh.

In their words: Seahawks and 49ers prepare for battle
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PETE CARROLLSeahawks head coach

Carroll's opening statement:

PC: "Coming off our long homestand, it feels comfortable to be going back on the road again, finally. Big, big weekend for us against the Saints, and kicks us into the final quarter of the season here -- that was really crucial about how you finish. So it couldn’t be any more fitting.

"We started off (in Week 2) with a great division rival -- as they are all rivals for us -- and we (now) got a chance to play these guys down there in San Francisco. And it’s going to be a great matchup and we’re really looking forward to it. We know this is the start of this finish time that is going to spell whether we take advantage of the great start that we’ve had during this year. So we’re looking forward to that. So, cranked up, ready to go and practicing indoors."

Q: Why do you say this is the biggest game the Seahawks have played all year?

RW: "It’s the next opportunity. Obviously this is a big game for us, an NFC West game. Our goal is to win the NFC West. That’s our No. 1 goal at the beginning of the year -- is seeing if we can do that first. It’s a great opportunity for us. (San Francisco) is a very, very good football team. They’re doing a great job right now. They’re playing some great football, they’re very physical, they can run around, make all the plays -- tons of talent on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball. It’s going to be a great matchup and a tough environment."

RS: “Nothing changes for us. It doesn’t get more intense. Like I said last week, there’s no such thing as a big game. Our field is the same size; nothing has changed. The month has changed, but guys are going out there and executing. We’re trying to win one game at a time, 1-0. We’re focused on San Francisco this week and doing everything that we can to prepare for them. and making sure that we’re totally prepared when we get out there in Candlestick and go out there and execute. Next week we’ll worry about what happens the next week."

RW: "Yeah, I guess you can consider them a rival. I guess. It's one of those things that it’s because it’s in your division. So anybody in your division, to us. Everybody is good. Arizona is doing a good job. The Rams, they have a very, very good defense and going against them, it's always a tough challenge for us. And obviously the 49ers too. So it’s just the next opportunity, though. That’s the way we look at it. That’s the thing that we’ve tried to do all year so far, is just go 1-0 and have that same mentality of having a championship opportunity every week."

PW: "I don’t know. Each guy probably has their own reason as to why they don’t like a certain team or like a certain person. But I think the most important thing is they’re in our division and they’re on. They’re our rival. They’re the new team that’s supposed to be and we feel like we’re still the team that is. It’s all about going out there on Sunday and just play football, and may the best team win."

Q: Percy Harvin's hip is still sore and is a question mark for Sunday's game. Are you preparing him the same way you did before his debut against the Vikings?

PC: "We’re almost there. Because of the way it works coming out of the days, he’ll run in-line stuff today (Thursday) and we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow. And that was usually a day earlier (before the Minnesota game)."

Q: Are you just dealing with Harvin's soreness day-by-day?

PC: "I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know that. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t -- I don’t know. We just got to wait and see how it goes. ... (We'll) see how he is and make sure he’s strong and safe and secure and all that, and we’re going to try to figure it out with him."

Q: Are you better prepared to face the Seahawks than you were the last time you met?

JH: "I mean, we understand the task, the challenge in playing a great football team. And we’re very enthusiastic about playing the game, and also preparing for it. That’s where our focus and mindset is. I don’t have the list in front of me of how much more prepared we are, but we’re excited and enthusiastic and ready to play the game."

Q: What differences do you see between the Seahawks of Week 2 and now?

JH: "Well, I mean, they really have it going. They’re playing well in all phases -- offensively, defensively, special teams, they’re playing great football. They’ve been consistently good all season."

Q: What can you draw from the last time the Seahawks played the 49ers, beating them 29-3 on Sept. 15?

PC: "A really good birthday. It’s now -- there’s a lot that’s gone on since the start of the season. And they had a couple of losses there, earlier in the year, that they bounced right back and won five in a row, and got back on track and really got cranked up, and they’ve been playing great football since. Their style adjusted a little bit during the season and they’ve focused on some different things with what they’re doing offensively. Defensively, it’s pretty much the same. A little bit different focus offensively, and it’s really enhanced their play.

"So they’re playing really good football right now. They’re running the ball like crazy, they play great defense, the quarterback has got all kinds of plays in him, with the confidence in his receivers right now. And it was hard for him -- at times, they didn’t have their guys. So I’m sure they feel a lot better about it; their game plan demonstrates that. Last week was a great indication of how they could open things and really rip it. So they present a big problem for us because of the consistency in the run game and the volatility of the throwing game. So it’s going to be done."

Q: What have the Seahawks learned about the 49ers in your past two matchups?

DB: "It’s going to be a great challenge for us. Their front seven is really where it all starts for us, because you know how we like to play ball. And it’s going to be a tough, physical game. That’s the way they are, as well. They are a physical front. So it’s going to be a hard-fought, tough game. We have a lot of the respect for the players that they have. The front seven really makes pressure in all areas. For us to be able to run the ball effectively, for us to be able to throw the ball and protect them."

"With Aldon (Smith) and (Ahmad) Brooks, and the guys that they have with (Patrick) Willis and (NaVorro) Bowman and all those guys -- I mean you just could keep talking about them. Justin Smith ... I mean, they’re just everywhere. So they’re good, and I haven’t even talked about the secondary at all. But that’s just kind of where it really starts, up front."

Q: How has your team tried to improve its game plan against the Seahawks?

PW: "Yeah, you’re right. The last two times we’ve played, they’ve won. I wish it had everything to do with this game this Sunday, but it don’t. It’s a new game, another Sunday and we’re just (looking good). I think we’ll be prepared this game and making sure that we’re doing everything that we’re supposed to do, and doing it right."

Q: What has made the Seahawks so effective against top teams like the Saints and 49ers?

RS: "I guess I couldn’t answer that. We just play our game. We just go out there and play to the best of our abilities and let the chips fall where they may. We go out there and man up stand up, and see what happens. A lot of our guys are playing at a high level. Russell Wilson played one heck of a game last week, our defensive line played a good game, our secondary held up, our linebackers did a great job covering, and I think it was a full ballgame by all three phases of our football team. And that’s what allowed us to play at a high level last week.

"But every game is different. Every game is a different battle. The first week in Carolina, we knew how good they could be -- their defense was very effective, their defensive line and their front seven in total bring a lot of pressure and create a lot of different looks. They have a good quarterback, a good offense that runs the ball well, and that’s always the ingredients for a good football team. We knew that coming in Week 1, and you know it’s going to be tough to contain them with Cam Newton and the way he moves and everything. So we just do what we can."

Q: Do you anticipate a very physical game between the 49ers and Seahawks?

PW: "I think being physical is the key to every game. This game in particular, that’s what both of these teams are. We’re both physical football teams and it’s going to be a test of will. It will be the team that’s physical until the very end, I feel like, will win this game. And with us, I have no question in my mind that we want to take that challenge and rise to the occasion."

JIM HARBAUGH 49ers head coach
Q: How well would you say... Photo-5560661.75557 - seattlepi.com

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RICHARD SHERMANSeahawks cornerback

Q: Do you think Russell Wilson is a good candidate for NFL MVP?

RS: "I do, I do. I think of him as a leading MVP candidate. If he’s not up there with the Peytons and the Tom Bradys and all of those guys, I don’t know what you have to do to be there. Because within our offense he’s done just about everything you can do to be an MVP candidate.

"When you have a running back like Marshawn Lynch you’re probably not going to throw the ball 40 to 50 times a game. You have to hand it to him some and feed the beast as they say in Seattle. But he’s been very efficient at home in a way, we’ve won most of the games that we’ve played, I think he has the best winning percentage of anybody out there playing right now so at the end of the day they say it’s about wins."

Q: What has stood out to you about Russell Wilson's performance this season?

DB: "I think the thing that stands out the most is his consistency. I mean, I’ve heard him talk about it, but how consistent he is for us -- helping us to get into the right situations, the decisions that he makes, the plays that he makes. Sometimes it’s right there on time, sometimes he’s got to buy a little bit of time. And just the consistency of his play, of what we can expect from him, the mental part of the game, just everything and how consistent he is at it."

PW: "I think that Russell Wilson is a good quarterback. He’s definitely establishing his self as one of the better quarterbacks in this league, and it's great competition to play against him two times a year. And certainly this Sunday, we’ve got to make sure that we try to keep him contained and just get after him."

Q: What do you think of all the talk about your chances to be named NFL MVP?

RW: "The talk about the MVP thing, I don’t worry about that. All I care about is just trying to win football games and try to put our team in a great opportunity to win football games. And it all starts with my offensive line. They give me enough time to make the decisions. Obviously my running back, he should definitely be up for (MVP). He is definitely one of the best, if not the best running back in the game. Marshawn Lynch, he does so many different things for us."

Q: This will be your last game at Candlestick Park before the 49ers move to their new stadium in Santa Clara. How do you feel about that?

PC: "Not only growing up going to games there, baseball games first for years, but then coaching there too for a couple of years -- it was really cool to be part of that growing up, being born in San Francisco and all of that. It’s special. I had to ask if this was the last game that (the 49ers) are playing at Candlestick, and my guys told me, no, it’s not the last one, they have a couple more. But it’s cool to go back there; it’s been a big part of my youth."

Q: There are a bunch of Seahawks starring in commercials, including you. Which is your favorite?

RS: "Maybe Russell Wilson’s commercial, because it’s so him. The American Family Insurance commercial, that’s my favorite. The first time I saw it was maybe two weeks ago, and I was sitting there laughing the whole time because it’s so funny to see guys out of their element doing their thing. And we have a lot of guys out there doing it. I think Earl Thomas’ (Sports Illustrated) commercial kind of personifies him the best -- the safety tips -- because a lot of guys don’t see that side of Earl Thomas. They think he’s a quiet guy that doesn’t really talk too much, but he’s a really fun guy, and he’s hilarious when he really wants to be."

Q: Are there any things you can't do now because of your notoriety and fame?

RW: "Things I can’t do? I really truly be myself. I go to the grocery store. I go to Whole Foods all the time to see my people at Whole Foods all the time, try to go to the movies when I have free time. I don’t try to live any different. So I think the biggest thing for me is try not to change too much, just continue to focus on the main thing. I’m very, very blessed, I’m thankful that the Lord has given me all the things that I have, and keep him first. And another thing is, football is so important to me. So I’m here all the time just because of my focus."